Bannor Toys-Iowa http://www.bannortoys.com/. A Small family owned company that believes in education and development through quality, safe, and fun toys. Products include: Natural Vehicles, Natural Maple Teethers, Building Blocks, Organic Baby Rattles, Colorful Toys, Baby Gift Sets, Developmental Toys & Alphabet Teethers. Where do they get their wood: “All of our products are made in Iowa. All of our wood is bought from two local lumber yards. Both of the companies we buy from offer FSC certified domestic hardwoods (maple, walnut, oak, cherry, etc.) We do buy a small amount of exotic wood (purple heart, yellow heart, etc.) for our “Woods of the World” building blocks and a few other toys. We buy our exotic wood from the same two local companies that we buy the domestic wood from. Most of our exotic wood is grown in forests in Central and South America. We have been assured it is harvested and replanted responsibly. None of our products are made in China, me and my wife personally build every single item we sell here in Des Moines, Iowa. None of our wood comes from China, and 95% of the toys we build use domestic woods grown and responsibly harvested in the U.S. The other 5% is built in the U.S. by us using exotic woods grown in Southern Forests. Our paints are completely lead free. We use expensive top quality paints for all Bannor Toys. Our paints contain NO VOC’s” My review: https://ecofriendlymamausa.com/2016/05/03/bannor-toys-inspired-toys-for-inspired-kids-review/

Green Toys— California- http://www.greentoys.com/?gclid=CJLn4b3Y4rACFQ8CQAodoEni0Q. Some will disagree with me recommending anything plastic, but I like what Green Toys does. Their products are made from 100% recycled milk jugs, and are free of BPA, PVC, and Phthalates, which are my main concerns in a plastic product. We have their tugboat, stacking cups, plane, sandwich & pizza shop & several other kitchen items for my sons wooden kitchen. Offerings include: Blocks, Dish Sets, Dump Trucks, Chef Sets, Cookware & Dining Set, Toolsets, Tugboats, Teethers, Tea Sets, Sandwich fixings, and more, check them out!

Holgate Toys-(MA) http://www.holgatetoy.com/. “Americas finest wooden toys since 1789. Categories include: infant toys, building blocks, education toys, lacing products, train, plane & vehicles, Holgate classics, furniture, personalized items, Mister Rogers (they made his Neighborhood Trolley), limited edition toys, collectors. From their website: ” When we think about green business practices our business could engage in, we tend to think of the obvious things that we hear about everyday such as the use of energy and water and emissions of carbon. However there are other less obvious ways for a business to go green, for example choosing sustainable wood products for your furniture, office fit-out or the construction of a new building. Choosing wood from sustainably managed forests or using reclaimed wood or fast growing wood can reduce the environmental impacts of your business. Holgate is a proud member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). All Holgate finishes are non-toxic and meet all government ASTM regulations. We use water base finishes so they are safe for young toddlers. In fact on some toys like the Slider Baby Rattle we use no finish – just a very smooth hand sanded piece of hard maple wood. This is the same tree that provides us maple syrup. Please order with confidence that Holgate toys are educational, safe, and sturdy, and Made in the USA!

Imagine Childhood– https://imaginechildhood.com/. I absolutely LOVE this site, especially as my kiddos are getting older (4 & 6 currently as I add this), they have a lot of great things for older kids, as well as young kids too! Their mission: At Imagine Childhood, the goal is simple: to protect and honor the magic of childhood. In a world so keenly focused on preparing children to be successful adults, we feel that one very important thing is getting left by the wayside: Childhood. That in a quest to make plans for the future, we’re forgetting about the present and how remarkable and beautiful it can be. We believe that the most important things in life are cultivated during this relatively short and extremely special time. That the curiosity, imagination and tenacity required to build a better future, come from making space for simple things like climbing trees, make believe, and a hearty sense of adventure.

Simply put, we believe that:

Nature Teaches Us How the World Works

Imagination Teaches Us How to Dream

Play Teaches Us How to Make Our Dreams Real

By providing children and families with high quality products and activities that inspire meaningful experiences, we hope to create a space where Childhood can do what it was always meant to do: build the magic and memories that inform and guide us for the rest of our lives.

Maple landmark– Vermont- http://www.maplelandmark.com/. Selection includes: Blocks, Cars, Games, Puzzles, Décor, Trains, Rattles, Teethers, & more! About their products: “Maple Landmark is local, with local materials, not something that happens 10,000 miles away. We craft a wide range of toys and gifts which follow American standards of product safety, employee safety, and environmental protection. No shortcuts. There is still a need for children to learn basic manipulation and construction so they believe in time-tested toys for hands-on learning and exploration.

North Star Toys– New Mexico http://www.northstartoys.com/. Offerings include: Wooden Vehicles, Boats, Pull Toys, Rubber Band Powered Vehicles, Play Sets, Dinosaurs and practically anything you can imagine wooden. They’ve been making high quality, non-toxic wooden toys at affordable prices for children of all ages since 1979. Regarding their wood source: “We use only sustainably managed American hard woods. The 32-year-old company assembles all of its toys in New Mexico, which runs on 100% renewable energy. Toys are finished with a food-grade mineral oil and paints are certified lead-free and nontoxic”. My review of a toy from them: https://ecofriendlyusa.wordpress.com/2013/12/12/north-star-toys-people-mover-review/

Palumba–Michigan. http://www.palumba.com/. “80% of our toys are made in the USA; the rest are crafted in Fair Trade Cooperatives. All of our toys are made without any toxins or unsafe parts. They are all of heirloom quality, hand crafted and sustainably made with care and integrity.” Categories of offerings include: Baby, Dolls & Puppets, House Play, Imagination Play, Clothes, Books, Music, Arts & Crafts, House & Home & Sale. Each of those categories has many subcategories. A GREAT selection of felt & crocheted play food, wooden kitchen accessories, Waldorf dolls & clothes. You have to browse through for yourself, I’m very, very impressed with the great selection from this company!! Where each item is made can be found either in the overview, or product description tab.

Pure Play Kids– TN http://www.pureplaykids.com/. Pure Play Kids offers one of the largest selections of battery-free, TV-free, creative playthings in the USA. They have a sharp focus on creativity, safety and natural materials. They have TONS of great offerings! So whether you seek wooden toys, cloth dolls, natural teethers, Waldorf toys or the perfect baby gift, Pure Play Kids has you covered. Made in the USA makes up the bulk of their products, the remainder are European toys. Regarding the source of their materials: “Pure Play Kids makes every reasonable effort to ensure that our materials come from the United States. Our packing materials are all from the US. Our wood is all from the United States. Our glue is from the United States. Our paints and coatings are all from the United States. The only material that I know is imported is cloth and toweling. (Some is domestic; some is imported.) The sad truth is that there are almost no looms working in the United States these days, so almost all cloth is imported. We’re always psyched to come across made-in-America materials, but honestly, there aren’t many. We do use mostly certified organic cloth materials. The labor (design, stitching, etc.) comprise much more of an item’s value than the cloth does, and all the labor is performed in the United States. My review: https://ecofriendlyusa.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/pure-play-kids-review/. Regarding lead in their paint: ” I had a follow-up with our lab today, and they use a level of “less than 20PPM.” Our actual results were between 2 and 5.3PPM, and those levels are so statistically insignificant that they likely result from the testing process and nature. No lead is introduced into the finishes, and we believe our finishes are the safest and most lead-free available anywhere. The impressive testing levels we attain are only for the wooden toys we make (the “Made By Us” section at www.PurePlayKids.com). The other products we sell are made by other US manufacturers bringing creative, battery-free, made-in-USA toys to the market. We support them because, like us, they are committed to making great toys and jobs in America. Those companies handle their own design, manufacturing, purchasing and testing. Each has passed testing in accordance with CPSC rules, but I am not privy to their exact metrics.” ECO2016 for 10% off your entire order.

Smiling Tree Toys– Minnesota.http://www.smilingtreetoys.com/. Educational, developmental, eco-friendly toys for baby, toddler, and preschooler – Waldorf and Montessori inspired. Natural, organic, one-of-a-kind-wonderful wooden toys – cars, rattles, blocks, wood teethers, personalized toys, stackers and balancers. A family business run by Justin and Kathleen on a small organic farm in rural southwest Minnesota. All their toys are lovingly handmade in the farm workshop using only locally sourced timber, and finished with organic flaxseed oil and local beeswax. Where do the get their wood? “We source a good amount of our black walnut wood locally, from a neighbor who mills it for us. The maple and cherry we purchase FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified to ensure it’s sustainably harvested. The maple is from Michigan and our cherry is primarily from Pennsylvania. We don’t use any foreign or exotic hardwoods, we keep our wood sources as close to home and eco-friendly as possible. Smiling Tree Toys make for smiling little girls & boys! **Full of good vibes and happy thoughts – they guarantee it** My review: https://ecofriendlyusa.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/smiling-tree-toys/

TAG (Think and Grow) Toys: CA. http://www.tagtoys.com/. Shop by categories such as: early learning, sorting & motor skills, perception & concepts, memory, numbers & counting, writing & spelling, creative play, child therapy, child’s room, personalized items, adult rehabilitation, classroom, other wood products— or browse by age or price. This is a WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL COMPANY!! TAG Toys are designed for all children from one to six years of age, with the clearly defined goal of stimulating the development of sensory motor skills and thinking abilities. Virtually all scientific and educational research recognizes that these early years are the most critical to the development of intelligence. TAG Toys are proudly designed and made in the USA. We use non-toxic, water-based finishes on all our products. Our raw materials such as paint, wood, and glue are brought in from local suppliers who also proudly manufacture them in the USA. Our unique toy designs, based on learning theory and educational research, provide truly educational products at a reasonable price.

The Puzzle People: CA- http://www.puzzlepeople.com/. My sister has bought my babe a puzzle from this company for both his 1st & 2nd B-days (the name & plane ones), and my babe & I just adore them. He plays with them multiple times daily, and they’ve held up wonderfully! “Our Wooden Puzzles Are Handcrafted Using Only Non-toxic Water Based Paints And Finishes. Puzzle People have been making wooden puzzles since 1972. Located in Northern California , the Puzzle People use baby safe materials and finishes on all puzzles. We are known for high quality educational wooden map puzzles and a variety of personalized name puzzles, as well as for award winning puzzles of endangered animals.” Puzzles categories include: map, name, animal, educational, preschool & toddler. My review: https://ecofriendlyusa.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/puzzle-people-review/. They, and all the toy vendors, get extremely busy between Thanksgiving & Christmas. Their site says to allow 3 weeks for a personalized puzzle during the Holidays, to be safe, I’d place your order for Christmas by Thanksgiving to be sure.

Think Toys– Florida http://www.thinktoys.org/. Selection includes: Hand Kites, Rainbow Sorting Bowls, Egg Sorting, Acorn Sorting, Cups & Pegs, Ring around the Rainbow, Table Skittles and Baby Basics. Think Toys are locally handmade, non-toxic, natural, Eco-friendly, Montessori- and Waldorf-inspired wooden learning materials for preschoolers. Where do they source their materials? “We exclusively use Maple that is harvested by our supplier in Texas. We paint using only AP-certified non-toxic water-based paints that are Made in the USA. We seal the wood using an organic blend of natural oils and beeswax that we collect from a local beekeeper — and we make it ourselves in our kitchen! We PRIDE ourselves on the fact that we source all our materials here in the USA. Keeping business local is important for the economy, and keeping materials local is important so we can trust them to our children.

Uncle Goose-Michigan: http://www.unclegoose.com/ Wooden blocks of all sorts: Classic, Specialty, Foreign Language (many, many languages!), Special Needs (Braille), Decorative, Exclusive, Replacements & Accessories. They produce 100% of their products within their factory in Grand Rapids, allowing them to control the entire process from wood milling and inspection through to shipping. The products are made from replenishable Michigan grown, Kiln-dried Basswood. They use non-toxic, child-safe inks with the added safety of being independently tested for lead before their use.

http://www.littlecolorado.com/ Look under their handcrafted toys tab. Some of their items are a bit cheaper but are MDF vs solid wood, if that matters to you. But they do offer solid wood too, which I prefer & is more durable.

Thank you so much for all your research especially that of safe toys for our children. Have you researched Hape toys before? Their toys are made in Germany. I was just curious if you’ve looked at them at all. Thanks again!

You’re welcome! Actually Hape are made in China. Maybe you’re thinking of HABA? They make their wooden ones in Germany, although any cloth ones from them are made in China. I have a couple HABA rattles for my Baby Girl & LOVE them!!

Thank you for the information. Have you ever looked into any of the toys at IKEA…such as the kitchen, tool bench, wooden & felt toys? I am struggling right now finding my baby girl a wooden kitchen that isn’t made in China and that isn’t crazy expensive. I know it’s an investment, it’s just so hard to spend that much money up front. Any advice?

I haven’t looked into Ikea’s… What do you consider crazy expensive? Elves & Angela has the best prices I’ve ever seen on kitchens, you can get an adorable one for just $169, which includes free shipping! The wooden kitchen I am currently using is 20+ years old, we’re the 5th family to use it. I share this to let you know that it’s a great investment! If you don’t plan on having more children, you can easily resell it on Craigslist, etc! Please, check these out! http://elvesandangels.com/collections/wooden-kitchens

There are no safe plastics. Here’s a link to a fine article that traces the history of what scientists and plastic manufacturers have known about plastics since the 1940’s, and how it’s been squelched, as recently as this September 2013. The information is there, we just aren’t getting it.

Have you found sources for nontoxic rocking horses? The two listed, maple landmark and elves and angels, have options, but are pricey and not exactly what I was looking for. Do you have any other ideas? I was thinking of Christmas for my 2 year old.

What is your opinion on kid Kraft toys? They have a couple rocking horses, but it’s been really hard for me to find any info on their materials. Maybe I’m looking in the wrong places. This is hard work, and I commend you for all the work you share. Also, unfortunately, some of the companies you listed a few years ago have gone out of business or left their websites dormant for too long. That’s so sad to see.

Thank you for letting me know about the sites, I’ll revisit each link one of these days ASAP! AS far as Kidkraft, I may be wrong, but I thought they’re made in China? I will take a look when I get a chance. If you’re on Facebook, hop on over to my group page & ask this question, good chance someone in my wonderful community there will have a new lead for you! https://www.facebook.com/groups/944480978913682/

All American baby link is broken and down to earth toys says they have closed.

I’m on the hunt for a small dollhouse. Everything I have seen is out of my price range and mostly too big. I saw a European made one for $80 at a local toy store but didn’t get a chance to see if it was wood or mdf. Any suggestions? I also checked craigslist for used ones.

I don’t live in a well off area so I am mostly seeing Dora doll houses and stuff like that. I remember seeing a house selling homemade bird houses, wondering if I can find them and convince them to make me a small doll house. Then I could finish it myself or leave it raw. I just want something little, not a giant elves and angels type. I looked on Etsy and found a neat one that flattens but they are all shaped like animals and I just want a house. You know when you get an image in your head… if only I could make it myself!